Recently, a WhatsApp group circulating disturbing material has reached a younger audience in Barcelona, involving 12-year-old students. The content shared includes explicit images and disturbing visuals, alongside hate speech and sexualized requests. The group was created and populated by strangers, and schools have discussed the issue in class while advising parents to monitor their children’s online activity in the coming days. The Mossos d’Esquadra, the Catalan police, are actively investigating and have issued guidance: exit the group, avoid engaging with its members, and not to report individual posts through informal channels.
At eight in the morning on a recent weekday, a 12-year-old student in Barcelona briefly had access to his phone before classes began. “I heard about a WhatsApp group from a friend and asked to be added. It seemed harmless at first,” he recalls. The group was titled “Kids All Over Spain,” with no known creator or administrator among the members.
Added by strangers without consent
As soon as the student joined, messages began flooding in. “I said hello and tucked my phone away when class started,” he explains. When he looked again, the group contained thousands of messages, including lengthy excerpts of inappropriate content and material that distressed him. “It was shocking and awful. I left soon after,” says another student who has not told parents what happened but knows classmates still in the chat may be exposed.
A different student notes that teachers likely became aware of the issue because it was discussed in class. The girl adds that many first-year students across the school were added to the group by strangers. “There are around 200 people in the chat; some say those who joined were 18 or older, but teachers warn the creators could be older still,” she says, a hint of worry in her voice. “How did they obtain phone numbers?” she asks. Some students reported stickers featuring classmates added without consent.
Topic discussed in class
The situation has prompted actions beyond a single school. “Many parents received warnings after their children were identified in a similar group called Children of Spain with inappropriate content, including hate speech and sexual material,” a source familiar with the matter said. Families in the neighborhood communicated about the issue, and schools are careful to assess whether younger children might be affected. They emphasize data protection and advise parents to talk with their children and to implement security measures to safeguard devices and data.
The Central Computer Crimes Unit of the Mossos d’Esquadra has been reviewing the matter since the incident emerged, with reports about the WhatsApp group named Children All Over Spain surfacing in media coverage. Catalan police launched an official inquiry after receiving multiple tips from citizens concerning pornographic and hateful material in the chat, which had reached a viral level among children under 12 in Barcelona. The investigation remains ongoing with unclear conclusions at this stage, according to officials (Mossos d’Esquadra).
Authorities urge families to report any relevant information so investigators can analyze the facts and preserve material. Some of the shared content may constitute offenses under criminal statutes, and preserving evidence is essential for the inquiry (Mossos d’Esquadra). Parents and schools are urged to stay vigilant and to cooperate with law enforcement to safeguard young people online.